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בָּרַח

𐤁𐤓𐤇

bârach

H1272 verb

SILEX Entry

Root ברח to flee, run swiftly, escape, put to flight

Definition

To flee, escape, or run swiftly from a place, danger, or pursuit; also to cause something or someone to be driven away or put to flight. The verb carries a primary sense of rapid movement away from a threat or undesired circumstance, whether literal or metaphorical. Depending on context, it can denote voluntary movement out of fear, pursuit by another, or forcible expulsion.

Semantic Range

to flee (from danger or pursuit), to escape, to run away, to be put to flight (by another), to cause to flee, to drive away, to rout or defeat in battle, to flee in haste, to force into escape, of water or objects: to gush or break out

Root / Etymology

From the root בָּרַח (ברח), which conveys the sense of swift, purposeful movement away from something. While the root itself means 'to flee' or 'to escape', the derived forms may emphasize urgency, fear, or compulsion. Lexically, בָּרַח is a primitive verb in Biblical Hebrew and attested throughout the Tanakh in narratives concerning escape, pursuit, or the expulsion of adversaries.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, בָּרַח most commonly describes human flight from danger (e.g., individuals fleeing violence, enemies retreating from battle), whether as an intentional act of self-preservation or in the context of military routs. The term is also used for animals fleeing, and in a few cases, for objects (such as water 'escaping' from a container in poetry). The word frequently appears in both historical narratives (such as the patriarchal and monarchic periods) and poetic texts. While English translations sometimes render it as 'flee,' 'run away,' or 'put to flight,' none of these fully capture the dynamic nuance of the original. The related root נוּס (nus) also denotes flight, but may emphasize escape, whereas בָּרַח more specifically conveys running away or being caused to flee definitively. Over time, post-biblical Hebrew maintained the term in the sense of 'to escape' or 'run away,' and it continues in Modern Hebrew with similar connotations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to bolt, i.e. figuratively, to flee suddenly; chase (away); drive away, fain, flee (away), put to flight, make haste, reach, run away, shoot.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ברח (b-r-ḥ) — to flee, run swiftly, escape, put to flight

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1280 בְּרִיחַ securing bolt of
H1281 בָּרִיחַ locking bar
H1282 בָּרִיחַ and Bariach
H4015 מִבְרָח his fugitives

Word Forms

27 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1272-20 וַ/יִּבְרַ֥ח vayiverach HC/Vqw3ms and fled and he fled swiftly 14
H1272-01 בָּרַ֜ח barach HVqp3ms fled he fled 7
H1272-21 וַ/יִּבְרְח֥וּ vayiverechu HC/Vqw3mp and they fled and they fled 5
H1272-05 בְּרַח berach HVqv2ms flee Flee swiftly! 4
H1272-14 לִ/בְרֹ֔חַ liverocha HR/Vqc to flee to flee 4
H1272-08 בְּ/בָרְח֖/וֹ bevarecho HR/Vqc/Sp3ms when he fled in his fleeing 3
H1272-23 בֹרֵ֖חַ vorecha HVqrmsa fleeing the fleeing one 3
H1272-17 בָרַ֖ח varach HVqp3ms had fled he fled 3
H1272-26 יִ֭בְרַח yiverach HVqi3ms he flees he will flee 3
H1272-11 בֹּרַֽחַת borachat HVqrfsa am fleeing she who flees 2

Occurrences in Scripture

65 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1272-18 Genesis 16:6 וַ/תִּבְרַ֖ח vativerach HC/Vqw3fs fled and she fled
H1272-11 Genesis 16:8 בֹּרַֽחַת borachat HVqrfsa am fleeing she who flees
H1272-05 Genesis 27:43 בְּרַח berach HVqv2ms flee Flee swiftly!
H1272-23 Genesis 31:20 בֹרֵ֖חַ vorecha HVqrmsa he was fleeing the fleeing one
H1272-20 Genesis 31:21 וַ/יִּבְרַ֥ח vayiverach HC/Vqw3ms and he fled and he fled swiftly
H1272-17 Genesis 31:22 בָרַ֖ח varach HVqp3ms had fled he fled
H1272-14 Genesis 31:27 לִ/בְרֹ֔חַ liverocha HR/Vqc to escape to flee
H1272-06 Genesis 35:1 בְּ/בָרְחֲ/ךָ֔ bevarechakha HR/Vqc/Sp2ms when you fled in your fleeing
H1272-08 Genesis 35:7 בְּ/בָרְח֖/וֹ bevarecho HR/Vqc/Sp3ms when he was fleeing in his fleeing
H1272-20 Exodus 2:15 וַ/יִּבְרַ֤ח vayiverach HC/Vqw3ms But Moses fled and he fled swiftly
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